Acoustics, the Home Recording Studio Killer

Acoustic Treatments for Your Home Recording Studio

Are Acoustics Killing Your Listening Game?The problem might be right there with you in the room! Acoustic treatment for your home recording studio will save you loads of time! With home recording studios rising in popularity, the amount of technology that is being marketed to the home recording studio owner is overwhelming. But the one thing you can’t fix entirely with a plugin is your room. You might be wondering, “Well what’s wrong with my  room?” You see, professional recording studios spend thousands of dollars on design and acoustic treatment. And this all takes place long before any gear is set up and placed around the room. Calculations are made to consider how certain frequencies, when played through different sized speakers, will interact with each other and in the room. In short, if you can control these frequencies, you can record and mix with greater efficiency and accuracy. If you want to know more about those frequencies, check out this link to dive in a little deeper: Understanding Audio Frequency

Where do I start?

Sometimes, audio engineering looks and feels a little like rocket science; especially when we start talking about math and specific frequencies! But honestly, the best tip is to use your ears. Wherever you have your listening/reference station set up, play a few of your favorite songs at the volume level you would mix at and simply walk slowly around your room. Where does the song start to sound different? Does the bass start to seem really loud in the corners or back of the room? Maybe your room is a little larger and you realize that it has more reverb or reflections than you’ve noticed before. These discoveries are a good thing!

How do I make it better?

One word: “Control”. Makes sense right? Well, the “how” is as simple as going back to what you’ve just noticed about your room. If your favorite song seemed to have a more low end in the corners of the room, that’s pretty typical. Bass really does “pile up” and corners, back walls, and ceilings are common problem areas. The same is true with higher frequencies like the ones our voices produce, or that little bit of reverb you hear after you clap in the middle of the room. Acoustic treatment is necessary at this point in order for you to take back the control of your sound! (Ever wondered how the “Control Room” got it’s name?)

Do it yourself!

Acoustic treatment that you buy from the store such as expensive foam and gimmicky portable vocal booth solutions, will have you emptying your pockets and feeling frustrated. Don’t waste your time. For about $20 and an hour or so of your time, you’ll have some great looking panels that will do wonders for your room! Since I don’t have more room in this newsletter, I’ll let you check out just one of the many resources that are out there online. The article will give you step by step instructions on how to make these game changing panels

Click here: DIY Acoustic Panels

I’d love to see what you guys come up with! Feel free to email me photos of your designs and acoustic treatment solutions for your home recording studio. Also, give our friendly admissions team a call at 615-791-7020 to learn more about our new classes at Dark Horse Institute. We would love to hear from you!